Despite criticism, Ogun defends construction of 10-lane Abeokuta/Sagamu Road

The Ogun State Government has explained that it is constructing the 10-lane Abeokuta/Sagamu Road in order to attract investors and migrants as well as funds for further development to the state.
The defense of the State Government is coming amid criticism of the need for the expansion of the road, which attracts little traffic.
It is also coming at a time the government has abandoned some bridge projects in the state, which had led to hardship for the people of the areas affected.
Among the critical bridges left uncompleted are the ones between Berger in Lagos State and Alagbole and Akute.
But the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite, speaking in Abeokuta on Wednesday, said the Abeokuta/Sagamu Road expansion is aimed at providing necessary infrastructure that will provide conducive environment for big time investors and multinational companies, including about three car assembly plants, which have shown interest in the corridor.
Adegbite recalled that the first Investors Forum, which was organised by the government in 2012, has opened the state to investment, adding that over 100 companies have opened shop in the state since then.

According to him, the N60 billion road would have two lanes in concrete on either sides in order to accommodate heavy vehicles and to protect the main road from damage.
He was quoted in a statement as having said: “The primary reason for that road, which was conceived in 2013, was in response to development around that axis. You will recall this report by World Bank, which categorised Ogun State as the worst state for doing business. That report was done in 2010 and thank God, by the time the 2014 report came out, Ogun State has gone from the worst to the best.
“And this is because of what this administration is doing right. A lot of people responded to the first Investors’ Forum, which was done in 2012, when we said ‘Ogun State is Open for Business’. There is huge demand, request from people who want to come and do business in Ogun State, especially the industrial concerns, along that corridor.
“And the way to do this is to prepare for those that are coming. You don’t wait until it happens before you start preparing.
“We need things like this, because these are the giant strides we need to grow the economy of the state. There are certain things we must do, which will bring in investors and grow our IGR and make money available for us to use in other areas, this is one of them.
“Apart form the taxes that would come to the government, what about their disposable income? Our people would be better for it and these are the set of people we want to attract to Ogun State and that’s why we are doing infrastructure everywhere.”
Adegbite, who appreciated the concerns of Ogun State people on the state of other ongoing roads in the state, assured that none of them would be abandoned by the government.
He added that the World Bank and other financial institutions are supporting the government in areas of road construction, especially on Ilara-Ijoun and Alagbole-Akute roads.